The Other Side
by Eaglenoimoto
Summary: A strange man appears to be the only one to beat Haruka in racing. But as if this wasn't enough, he even manages to put her whole world upside down and seems to separate her from Michiru more and more... Happy End for Michi included ^_^
1. Rivalry

Hi Minna-san!  
  
So I'm starting a new story once again I didn't finish any of the others. I'm really sorry but I promise to finish every story I've ever started. But I'm just in the mood to write this.  
  
I dedicate this first chapter to Anthy76 (^_^ You're right, someone needed to write the whole story down- you're my inspiration, my muse, my genius- *dakishimete) and Hana-chan for her very, very wise words ("You think you're a lesbian? Stupid categorizations! Anyone can fall in love with anybody, love fixed on a sex isn't love at all!") that summarize the meaning of this fanfic ^_- . You'll see later on. Please R&R, Yukio ***** Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon and its characters, they belong to Takeuchi-sama and Toei. I just borrowed them for a line or dozens of stories ^_^ The plot is based on a real occurrence but at least, it's mine mine mine! So are Kurohara Ayako and Hokori Jack. And everyone who does not appear in "Sailor Moon". Don't use them without my permission. Otherwise, I_WILL_KILL_YOU (did anyone else notice everyone is stealing everyone's ideas?)! ***** Information on Ayako: I stole Ayako from my own story, "Affaire Fâcheuse" (that Ruka x Seiya thing). That's for those who understand German and want to know more about her. Relevant is that she's a close friend of the Outers, a colleague of Michiru and also a Sailor Senshi. I'm thinking about writing a story about her. *****  
  
Warning: I'm writing this because lots of people wanted to kill me when I was writing on a Haruka x Seiya story. This fanfiction is not about that all-perfect, innocent Sailor Moon World. It might be OOC but fiction is fiction and no one knows how the characters would act in reality, see? I adore Haruka & Michiru but they aren't goddesses, they can have problems in their relationship, right? So don't sue me for my fantasy, I'm just trying to develop other sides of their personalities.  
  
*****  
  
The other side  
  
***** Chapter I ***** She had overcome the pain she had felt when she was a Sailor Senshi. She had started doing motorsports again. She had overcome all her enemies, all her opponents in sports. She had overcome all the troubles she had had with Michiru.  
  
There was nothing that could stop her any more.  
  
Nothing that could stop her from realizing her dreams.  
  
She was near to becoming the wind.  
  
She and Michiru had even become somewhat like engaged. "Somewhat like engaged" meant they both wore the same ring, but Haruka didn't dare to ask Michiru if she would marry her. They both were lucky as things were right now.  
  
But maybe, one day. Haruka exhorted herself to stop thinking about all this.  
  
The only thing that mattered right now was the machine in front of hers. The race endured only one more round and still she wasn't able to overtake that guy with the sparkling white Kawasaki bike in front of her.  
  
Many times she'd been near to do it, but somehow he was able to quicken his pace each time. Damn, she didn't even know that man who seemed to be much better than she.  
  
Your fault, Haruka, she said to herself. You should stop thinking about your girl and concentrate on the race.  
  
If she couldn't get him on this straight stretch of road, she had to try to overtake him in the last curve. But it was hard to surmount that narrow curve, anyway. It had been a dangerous corner for lots of racers before. Just at the beginning of the race, one of Haruka's team partner's had almost caused an accident there. He got disqualified.  
  
For her team's honor, but even more for her ego, she had to be first. The goddess of the wind would never allow anyone to beat her in her element.  
  
Haruka sighed and prepared to take the curve. The Kawasaki boy realized that and became slower, too.  
  
"As if he wanted to leave me a little pride before I lose to him!", Haruka mumbled and sped up again.  
  
Now or never- the blonde came nearer to her opponent. And nearer. Almost overcame him.  
  
Suddenly lost the control about her motorbike. Couldn't react as fast as the machine did.  
  
Scraped against the other machine and dragged both bikes and racers to the ground.  
  
Great, at least none of us will win this, was her last thought before they got skid out of the curve. Some seconds, or minutes later, Haruka couldn't think clearly anymore, they stopped. All she could think about was the weight of metal on her meager body.  
  
She felt a sharp pain in her thorax. Blood coming through her ripped glove.  
  
Managed to catch a vague glimpse at the other racer who was also lying on the ground, motionless.  
  
She tried to move, but but wasn't able to put the bike, or what of it had remained, from her legs.  
  
She already heard the voices of the ambulance as she slowly fainted away. ****** "Michiru? I guess there's something going wrong down there."  
  
Ayako patted on her turquoise-haired friend's shoulder. The slender woman in the white summer dress had been so involved in the chat with her adoptive daughter that she didn't watch the race track for quite a while. Michiru knew that Haruka would win anyway and profited from the race talking to Hotaru whom she didn't see often since she had moved out.  
  
How time flies, thought Michiru, Hotaru was already nineteen and has been living together with her boyfriend Kenji for more than a year.  
  
"Hey, dreamer." Ayako shoved her a little to awake Michiru from her daydream.  
  
"What's up?" Ayako rolled her eyes. Michiru was that kind of person who nodded all the time you're talking to her but can't tell you what you've just said afterwards.  
  
"I can't see Haruka anymore." "You can't see the whole circuit from the stands, that's normal."  
  
Suddenly many people around them stood up and cheered enthusiastically. "What's going on here?", asked Michiru Hotaru to her left. "It's finished."  
  
Michiru saw how the racers took off their helmets. But she didn't recognize her beloved one.  
  
Behind her, some people talked about the winner, a guy called Maramoto, and a woman a row over her exclaimed that it "was a pity Tenou caused that accident".  
  
Accident? Michiru immediately dragged a confused Ayako down to the circuit.  
  
She hated herself for being such a dreamy person at that very moment.  
  
Somehow they managed to get trough the crowd of mechanics, racers and journalists to see an ambulance. And Haruka on a stretcher.  
  
Michiru couldn't figure out what kind of injuries Haruka had because all she saw was she was covered in blood. And she was unconscious.  
  
The violinist started crying and ran over to one of the ambulance men who lifted Haruka into the car.  
  
"Please let me go with her, I'm her lover." The man look at her, confused. "I'm afraid we only are allowed to take relatives with us."  
  
"But_I_am_relative! If I'm not, then nobody is!"  
  
Now he did look even more puzzled, but when he saw the engagement ring on Michru's finger he understood and helped her into the ambulance car.  
  
Ayako was left behind. A few seconds after the ambulance had disappeared, Hotaru came to her, gasping.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you're going down?" "Because we didn't have the time, dammit!"  
  
Hotaru's eyes widened. "Is it bad?"  
  
Ayako ran her fingers through her recently blonde-dyed hair. Will there ever be peace for all of them? When they weren't fighting any demons or settling love quarrels, there was always somebody who ensured them a problem. She wished back to the times Haruka had given up on sports.  
  
"You better pray it's not."  
  
*****sj "It definitely looks worse than it is, with all the blood spurting around and this stuff."  
  
Michiru shivered. What a nice doctor. He should've been a horror author instead.  
  
She had been sitting in the waiting-room for twenty minutes but it seemed like eternity. Worrying about her love. Thinking she'd die. Imagining how life without Haruka would be. And then came this silly man and told her it's not as bad as it looks.  
  
"Then how bad is it?" "She's got some slightly fractured ribs, lacerations and bruises, but she was lucky. I guess she'll be able to go home in two or three days, but then she needs to stay in bed. Otherwise, the ribs might break completely and threaten her lungs."  
  
The woman sighed, somehow in relief, somehow in fear. Haruka in a coma would be easier to take care of than a conscious Haruka that wasn't allowed to move.  
  
But she was lucky she survived.  
  
"How's Hokori-san?"  
  
She heard footsteps behind her and then felt someone's breath near her neck. A tall, black-haired woman stood behind her. She wore an elegant, red dress and seemed to be as old as Michiru.  
  
"I'm afraid, but there's a pledge of secrecy I have to keep. May I ask in what relationship you are with Hokori-san?"  
  
"I'm his girlfriend, and besides, you told these f***in' lesbian's girlfriend about her, too."  
  
"These f***in' lesbian's girlfriend" clenched her fists but resisted saying something she'd regret later on.  
  
"All right, there's not much about him. He's got some wounds and a concussion, but he'll be able to go home tomorrow morning.  
  
Someone else entered the room. A smaller woman of the same age with piercing green eyes, also very elegant.  
  
"I told you it would take more than that to finish that bastard, Yoko!"  
  
Now both, the doctor and Michiru looked puzzled at the two women, waiting for an explanation.  
  
"Also girlfriend, or better, bed-partner of Mr. Casanova Hokori.", the green-eyed woman explained.  
  
Both the doctor and Michiru nodded as the door swung open another time and a woman with short ash blonde hair and a tennis dress rushed in. She seemed to be only about the age of Hotaru, maybe even younger.  
  
"Did he finally die?"  
  
The doctor arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Girlfriend, huh?"  
  
The blonde shoved Michiru. "And who are you? Another of his bitches I don't know yet? Jack is only mine, you know?" "I'm not here because of Hokori-san but because of Tenou-san.", Michiru muttered shyly.  
  
"Oh, gomen nasai, but if I might give you an advice- take your hands better off Hokori, okay?"  
  
Michiru nodded and followed the doctor who had taken her hand out of the room. "Gee, I wonder what kind of pimp he is really.", the doctor said. Michiru giggled because of the silly situation in the waiting-room and how frank the doctor spoke.  
  
"Thank you for rescuing me from those crazy girls."  
  
They walked to the end of the corridor where the doctor told Michiru to wait and talked to a nurse for about five minutes.  
  
He came back with a smile on his face. Somehow the young doctor wasn't that bad. "Tenou-san is awake, you can go to her now."  
  
Finally! Michiru walked towards the room the doctor pointed at and knocked on the door carefully, then opened it without waiting for a voice calling her in. ***** First Haruka realized when she woke up was the sharp pain in her rips.  
  
Then a white-clothed woman sitting next to her bed. A nurse?  
  
She had tried to persuade herself that the accident wasn't more than a dream. She often had nightmares before races. But this was real. She was really in a hospital.  
  
The nurse told her not to move because then her ribs might break.  
  
No moving! Haruka knew she would go insane just sitting around for weeks! When the nurse was gone, she noticed her right hand was in a dressing. She couldn't move her fingers at all.  
  
She checked her body all over. A wound on her stomach and on her right shoulder, lots of bruises on her arms and legs and a burning pain in her back she couldn't figure out because she could not put her hand behind it. She sent a little prayer to the man who invented protective helmets.  
  
Some minutes later, someone knocked on the door.  
  
Haruka instinctively knew it was Michiru.  
  
"Haruka, yokatta- you're all right!", Michiru screamed and hugged her lover.  
  
"Hey, Michi, not that tight, my ribs." Michiru let go of her at once. The blonde noticed some tears in the corners of her eyes.  
  
"Oh, gomen.I was so glad to see you alive!"  
  
Haruka grinned.  
  
"So you didn't want to inherit my car?" "You're mean, you almost died today, Ruka!"  
  
Michiru kissed her possessively as if to prove she'd never let go of her girlfriend again. Tears kept running down her cheeks. Haruka wiped them away with her healthy hand.  
  
"Sh, anyway I didn't. It was all my fault because I tried to overtake him in this bloody curve.besides, what did happen to that Kawasaki guy?" "Kawasaki?"  
  
Michiru couldn't believe Haruka was thinking of motorbikes again, such as the one that almost killed her.  
  
"The racer I crashed into."  
  
"Hokori-san." "You know him? I've never heard of him before. Is he." Haruka kept silent. This angry look in Michirus eyes, she couldn't.  
  
"Michiru, don't say I killed him!"  
  
The violinist giggled.  
  
"No, you didn't. He's perfectly fine and three of his girlfriends already came to visit him."  
  
"Nani? Three girlfriends? Then he must be a gorgeous racer. Even I, the mighty Haruka Tenou can only maintain one girlfriend.", Haruka sneered. "Stop joking around!"  
  
Haruka sighed. Three girlfriends or more! And she already had enough stress with one sensitive Michiru. She imagined how it would be to have three or four of her and found that that wouldn't be so bad at all.  
  
"Hey, what's so damn funny that makes you grinning like an idiot?" Michiru pushed an elbow into her ribs.  
  
"Ouch!" "Ara, Haruka darling, love, dear, I'm sorry I hurt you."  
  
*****  
  
3 Days later, 10:30 AM  
  
"Let me take your bag."  
  
"I'm okay, that thing weighs nothing, Michiru."  
  
Michiru was happy she had someone to take care of again.  
  
It had been eerily quiet at home the last days. Setsuna had moved to her small apartment in the city centre she earlier had only used when she worked late and there was no more bus or underground to their house at the bay of Tokyo or when she just wanted to be alone. That was at the same time as Hotaru finished school and moved out.  
  
Since then, Haruka and Michiru had the big, beautiful house near the shore for themselves. Michiru enjoyed the silence far away from the noisy city, but without Haruka, she soon became bored. It had felt weird to come home from work and find an empty house.  
  
But now she had persuaded the boss of the music school she was working for to give her three weeks of extra holidays to take care of Haruka who wasn't allowed to move much.  
  
So Michiru insisted carrying the blonde's bag. When they made their way down the hallway of one of the biggest hospitals of Tokyo, they passed by the new-born ward.  
  
Michiru looked at all the cute babies sleeping peacefully behind the glass window. Their baby, Hotaru, had grown up much faster than expected. Soon they could even expect to become grandparents- and they were only twenty-five! Maybe there was a way for them to get another child.  
  
Michiru sighed when she saw Haruka was looking away purposely. The blonde realized her lover was looking at her in request.  
  
"I'm sorry, Michi, but the doctors just dressed my wounds, they didn't change my sex.",Haruka joked.  
  
Michiru took her hand and decided to talk to her about this seriously when she was better. They walked on.  
  
At the parking, Haruka demanded her keys. Michiru shook her head.  
  
"You won't drive today, you're not in form."  
  
"But you can't." "I can drive, and you know that."  
  
"Unfortunately."  
  
*****  
  
Ten hours later (thought Haruka), thanks to Michiru's "way to drive safe and decent", as she said, they arrived at home.  
  
"I would've needed only half the time."  
  
"You would've caused another accident in your condition." "I'm fine!"  
  
She was always healthy enough to drive, thought Haruka though the pain in her thorax told her she wasn't.  
  
The day was just terrible for both of them. Haruka didn't want to stay in bed so Michiru allowed her to sit on the couch in the living-room and watch TV. Soon Haruka had switched through all of their five hundred channels a few times and had made Michiru almost mad with that.  
  
Then she started reading some magazines and complained loudly how boring it was.  
  
"Think of that the next time you're planning an accident!", Michiru shouted after they had had dinner and Haruka insisted to help her cleaning everything up.  
  
"I didn't plan anything! All I wanted was to win!" "Who cares if you win when you're dead after you reached the finishing line?" "But I had to win!"  
  
"Do you only see the sport, Haruka? What about me? You almost died and all you think of is you didn't win the race. Don't you see that's crazy?"  
  
Haruka saw it. She knew it when she prepared to take the curve.  
  
But she just couldn't explain Michiru what it was like to always win and then have a real opponent, someone you can't just kick aside.  
  
At that moment, the doorbell rang and freed Haruka from Michiru's questioning eyes. ***** Michiru looked into the mirror at the corridor and put some strands of hair in order before she opened the door.  
  
In front of her stood a man in his late twenties with friendly brown eyes with green sparkles and curly, chocolate-coloured hair that almost fell down to his chin. Michiru had to lift her head to see into his eyes because of his height, she guessed him to be almost two meters tall.  
  
He wore blue jeans and a tight, black muscle-shirt that let her know she stood in front of a very handsome, well-trained sportsman with a skin like caramel that reminded her of Setsuna's.  
  
But the best was, he held a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands. She had to admit that man was.she didn't find a fitting word, yes, he was gorgeous.  
  
She finally regained her concentration back. What was that guy doing at her door?  
  
"Um, good afternoon, do we know each other?" Michiru frowned. His Japanese had a strange accent.  
  
"I'm Hokori Jack. And I suppose you're Tenou Haruka?" Before she could answer, he had taken her hand and kissed it. She blushed. Fortunately, Haruka was still on the couch in the living-room. Three girl-friends.  
  
"I'm astonished such a beautiful lady like you handles the motorbike this great."  
  
" Michi-chan, who is at the door?", screamed Haruka from the inside. "You're one and only true opponent, darling."  
  
Hokori flushed. "You're not Tenou Haruka?" Michiru smiled. It would've been so much fun pretending she was Haruka. "I'm afraid I'm not.", she bowed, "Kaiou Michiru, I'm her partner." "In racing?" "In almost everything except that."  
  
He once again reddened what gave his face a boyish look.  
  
"Is Tenou-san in, then? I wanted to apologize for that accident on Sunday." "Wasn't it she who crushed into you?" "Yes, but I could have avoided that. However, I went to the hospital to give her that little present of mine, but they told me she's been sent home this morning. So the nice doctor told me your adress."  
  
Michiru remembered the "nice doctor" and and his pledge of secrecy only too well.  
  
"Please wait a minute. I'll ask her if she wants to see you."  
  
She turned around and went into the living-room.  
  
"Haruka, that three-girlfriend-Hokori is on the door with a frightfully huge bouquet and wants to talk to you."  
  
"Why did you leave him at the door? I want to know that man that's so good in racing."  
  
"That's what he told me about you, too." "Why do you let him wait?"  
  
"Because." Michiru was looking for the right words once again. "Because he looks more like he's going to flirt than to talk."  
  
Haruka grinned amusedly. "Well I'll have to refuse that, but why shouldn't we get him to know?" "If you look after yourself." "Stop worrying, Michi! I'm all right as long as I'm just sitting here."  
  
But somehow both individually felt that wasn't what Michiru really meant with "look after yourself". ***** 2003-07-26, 02:21 skygoddess@gmx.net 


	2. Misunderstanding

Hi minna-san! .wassup? O.o Not much to say about this chapter. why are my self-created characters always so weird? Motto of the chapter: "I'm sorry you didn't get the meaning." ^_- ***** Disclaimer & Warning: Ew, I'm tired of this. Just leaf back to the first chapter. We all get annoyed by this stuff each time, don't we? ***** Special Warning: Well, I already warned you in the first chapter. this is going to be pretty weird. but it's a story based on something that really happened. oh well, I only took the core idea. I'm not going to separate Haruka and Michiru, I would never dare to. And if you can't stand the thought of Haruka liking (not even really loving) a man. go watch the all-innocent, childish Sailor Moon series on TV. This is my FICTION, I won't change it for some people who don't get the meaning of this (I received some flames.). If you don't like it, just stop reading it. *****  
  
The Other Side  
  
*****  
  
Chapter II  
  
*****  
  
"Hokori Jack, pleased to meet you."  
  
Haruka arched an eyebrow as he passed her the bouquet. This dressed up guy should be a racer? The most racers she knew were these machos in leather outfits who pretended to be tough rockers but were not more than retarded chauvinist pigs. Well, this one seemed to be a chauvinist in a very good-looking disguise.  
  
"Tenou Haruka, thank you but those flowers were unnecessary."  
  
Michiru took the bouquet to look for an appropriate vase.  
  
"Maybe for you- when I apologize, I prefer to bring a sign for my guilt. I always thought you Japanese like this polite stuff." "We Japanese?" Haruka looked at him, his tanned skin and wild curls were an indice he wasn't Japanese. So was the name "Jack".  
  
"That's a bit complicated. my father was half Japanese, half Afro-carribean and my mother came from Scotland but was raised near Sapporo, you know, Hokkaido? I was born there. By the way, you don't look very Japanese, too."  
  
Haruka stuttered quietly. "Oh well, I'm not from Japan originally, I'm from the moon or Uranus or whatever, we aliens only appear to be reincarnated in Japan by chance" didn't sound like a appropriate reason for her light hair and eye colour. The best would be to ignorate his question.  
  
"Sapporo. Northern Japan. That's why I've never heard of you before."  
  
The blonde tried to change the topic to motorsports.  
  
"Actually, you couldn't have heard of me before since this was my first race."  
  
Her eyes widened. Haruka felt like she'd faint once again.  
  
"Your. first race?" Jack leaned back to make himself comfortable.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to try this. got my driver's license for motorbikes one month ago." "You did what?"  
  
Haruka swallowed hard. She'd been training for years to come this far and this guy without the slightest experience almost won!  
  
"You're joking. You had to qualify yourself to take part at this race. That took me two years !"  
  
He smiled with an arrogant expression on his face.  
  
"Oh come on, do you really believe there's no other way to become qualified for the race? I really did it just for fun. I know the organizer. And in the same manner, my father inherited me enough to corrupt everybody I want to."  
  
"That's not fair! There are countless great sportsmen who never become qualified and you steal them their chance!"  
  
He sighed. "At least, I got to know you. That's why I came here. I'm sorry for what happened on Sunday."  
  
"I bet you are. Not for me, but for the people you betrayed to take part."  
  
One more word from this arrogant dude, thought Haruka, and she'd explode. The ringing phone made her hold back the effusion of abuses.  
  
"Moshi moshi?" "Hi Haruka, this is Ayako. Is Michi in? I thought it would be nice of me to take care of her as long as you're impaired."  
  
"Call her MICHIRU, not Michi. You think you're damn funny, don't you?" "Hey, I just wanted to invite her to the cinema, or do you need her as your nurse?"  
  
The blonde handed Michiru who finally had found a vase the phone. She arranged to meet Ayako at their favorite restaurant and then go to the cinema at eight o'clock.  
  
When she had put the phone down, she ran a hand throgh Haruka's hair and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Is it okay when I leave you alone for three or four hours?" "Well, you see I'm not alone. And I'm able to pee on my own, you know?" "I'll be back at eleven."  
  
Haruka felt bad about being alone with Hokori, but she'd throw him out as soon as possible. Michiru went upstairs to get dressed an put make-up on and do all these things Haruka could never figure out why it took her so long.  
  
In the meantime, Hokori told Haruka who still couldn't believe he paid someone for the race his whole life-story.  
  
Or at least, Haruka felt like he told her everything. How he had lived in Scotland for seven years. How he came back to Japan when he was fifteen and couldn't enter Senior High because he knew only a couple of kanji. How he tried to learn a proper job but never found anything he really liked. How he did casual work. How his father commited suicide three years ago and he inherited all his money.  
  
Spoiled brat, was what Haruka thought when she first saw him and that was what she still thought when Michiru left half an hour later. ***** "I've told you so much about me, it's your turn now."  
  
Their eyes met. Haruka had never seen eyes like Jack's. They were green with a mysterious amber shimmer. Stop- he wanted her to tell him about herself?  
  
"Oh well, I started racing when I was fifteen and I guess I could have made it really far if I didn't have had to stop it because of-"  
  
Because of their mission. Because of her princess. Because of Michiru. Because of destiny. Because of things she couldn't tell him.  
  
"However, I had to lower the training and even stopped for three years or so. I started again about three years ago."  
  
"Why did you stop racing? For physical reasons? Well, then you wouldn't have started again- maybe for love?"  
  
Haruka looked aside. He wasn't far from the truth. And he started flirting with her. Why, for god's sake, was she sitting here and talked to this man though she knew he wasn't interested in motorsport but flirting with her?  
  
"I think you got something wrong, Hokori-san."  
  
"Jack." "Nani?" "Please call me Jack."  
  
The blonde gnashed her teeth. She wouldn't allow him to call her with her forename.  
  
"Tenou-san, anyway." "I didn't expect anything else. It's typical. You Japanese women are always shy."  
  
She and a typical Japanese woman? SHY? Haruka rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hokori-san, please listen and don't interrupt me. You're not Mr. Universe and I'm not a common sleeparound. I thought you had a higher level. Anyway, you won't succeed with me. I'm engaged to Kaiou-san." "I know."  
  
Haruka clenched her fist. This guy was a real pain.  
  
"So why don't you stop provoking me?" "Because I like lesbians." What a pervert! How dared he. Haruka stood up and clipped him round the ears.  
  
Still, Jack sat there peacefully. "You're good. For a woman. But I was just joking." "Joking? You're a pervert and chauvinist and if you don't leave my house at once I'm going to throw you out violently."  
  
Jack stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "And you're sure you have the strength to throw me out?", he asked amused.  
  
Haruka couldn't hold back her anger anymore. She grasped his wrist and lifted her right knee to. ***** To see how the door was opened widely.  
  
Michiru and Ayako entered the room and Haruka let go of Jack.  
  
Michiru grabbed her hand. "Haruka, I told you to sit there quietly."  
  
"This damned chauvinist pig dared to- "  
  
"To make a joke this hair colour impaired person got wrong.", completed Jack her sentence. "I'm sorry that I made her stand up and try to throw me out, Kaiou-san."  
  
With a wink, he took Michiru's free hand and kissed it.  
  
Haruka growled and draw back her arm to hit his well-shaved and perfumed face.  
  
Jack didn't get out of the way. He really didn't even try to. He staggered but grinned the following second.  
  
"As I said, you're really good. But I'm against violence. The beginning of physical vionlence is the end of thinking." "Don't dare to touch Michiru one more time. Just get out of here!"  
  
"Did you pester Haruka in any way?" Ayako who suspected the meaning of the scene smiled.  
  
"I didn't. I was flirting. I know Tenou-san's a lesbian. I'm not stupid. I knew there was more than friendship between the two of them when Kaio-san kissed her in front of me. But why shouldn't I try? I was just playing around. I'm sorry you didn't get the meaning, Tenou-san."  
  
Michiru indicated Haruka to sit down. She grumbled but obeyed.  
  
"Why don't we all sit down and have some tea?", Michiru asked.  
  
While Michiru was in the kitchen, Haruka apologized reluctantly. Just because Michiru wanted her to. Otherwise, she had thrown Jack out.  
  
"Next time you're joking please use a joking intonation."  
  
"Wasn't the whole scene damn funny?" "For me, it was", Ayako interupted them,"You two looked so great. It was like the scene from Bronze when Izumi..."  
  
Haruka relaxed. Ayako was one of the people who would never really grow up but could be terrifying serious. She found that out when Ayako had told her she wasn't only Michiru's colleague at the music school but a Sailor Senshi, too.  
  
"Ayako, I'm not a man." "But you'd make a good one. Ever looked into a mirror, Ruka-chan?" "Don't ever call me this! This is a nickname only used-" ".by Michiru in very intimate and romantic situations or whenever she wants you to do something for her, right?"  
  
Haruka couldn't do anything but smile. This was Ayako, never polite, always giving fresh answers even when she wasn't asked anything.  
  
"I guess you two could collaborate and found a club for silly jokes. This is Hokori Jack-san, and this mad woman is Kurohara Ayako-san. "  
  
Ayako smiled. "So you really dared to flirt with Haruka?"  
  
Jack leaned back. "I didn't mean it this serious."  
  
"But I guess Haruka did.", said Michiru as she entered the room with a tray of tea cups.  
  
The blonde pouted. "Is this the We're-all-mean-to-a-poor-ill-woman-evening? By the way, why did you come home this early and brought Ayako here?"  
  
"Because the restaurant is closed today and we didn't want to wait for a movie we both didn't really want to see." "If you want to be alone with Hokori-san, I'll take Michiru with me and leave you two alone." , Ayako joked.  
  
"Jack." "Nani?" "Please call me Jack. I hate this Japanese suffix-stuff."  
  
The women looked at each other, then at Jack.  
  
"Michiru." Haruka looked at her lover sharply. "Oh well, Michiru-san." Haruka nodded. They didn't need to pretend to be that close. "Tenou-san."  
  
"Haruka, that's frosty, isn't it?", Michiru teased her. "Haruka-san, but never more than that."  
  
She would never get closer to this clown than she was now.  
  
"Just ignore her, Haruka always plays the cool one though she's a cute nice girl.", Ayako declared.  
  
Haruka stared to the carpet as if they talked about someone she didn't know.  
  
Then Jack smiled at Ayako and Haruka at Michiru. Ayako and Jack would make a good couple. Until they'd killed each others' nerves completely, thought Haruka.  
  
"And you're somebody I can flirt with without chancing getting beaten?" "That's direct." "Too direct for a Japanese woman?"  
  
Haruka and Michiru rolled their eyes. Ayako used to flirt with everybody and everything and never took it serious.  
  
"Not really. If you want to know if I'm gay or not, why don't you ask directly?" "So then: Ayako, are you a lesbian, too?"  
  
Ayako who sat next to Michiru gave her a kiss on the cheek. Haruka grinned. Ayako was the only person she would never need to be jealous about. She was far to insane for Michiru.  
  
Haruka knew what expected her now. The opinion of someone who didn't grow up in this world, who could change her sex if she wanted. The opinion of the last living member of the Sailor Starlights. Or just the opinion of someone very tolerant.  
  
Ayako took a small gulp of tea and answered slowly.  
  
"So then: Jack, I hate it when people classify people categorically. What makes a man and what makes a woman a woman? And how deep is a love that refers to the gender of one or both of the partners? When I love a man, I love him because of his character and not because he's got something between his legs. And when I love a woman, I love her for how she is and not for what she is. Retarded people who want to categorize anything call this bisexual, I call it myself."  
  
Jack's eyes widened. "And may I ask if you're single?"  
  
"I guess I'll stay alone until I meet somebody who really understands this. Could you imagine to be in a relationship with a man?"  
  
Jack looked over to Haruka, then to Michiru. "No, I can't."  
  
"Then stop flirting with me." *****  
  
The round of the four spent some hours in the living-room and talked about this and that. Jack and Haruka worked things with each other out and at the end, Haruka was really sorry to have him beaten.  
  
Some time before midnight, Ayako and Jack left.  
  
Haruka immediately walked to the bathroom and got dressed for bed.  
  
When Michiru was ready, Haruka was almost sleeping.  
  
The violinist turned off the light and stroked over her lover's body.  
  
"You overexerted yourself today, didn't you?" "You were the one who let Jack in." "And you were the one who wanted me to let him in."  
  
Haruka purred as Michiru's hand tenderly wandered over her upper body. She was tired but couldn't sleep properly because she had to lay on her back to take care of her ribs. So she started thinking about everything that happened today.  
  
"Michi?" "Hm?" "You knew I needed to rest. Why did you let Jack in anyway?" "I also knew you wouldn't stay still for the whole day. Besides." "Besides what?"  
  
Michiru pretended to snore. How cute, and how mean, thought Haruka who wasn't able to move as she wanted. She managed to lean over to the smaller woman and kiss her.  
  
"You're not sleeping yet. Besides what?"  
  
Michiru giggled.  
  
"Besides he was so good-looking I didn't want him to go so fast."  
  
"You." "What? You like it when I give you a reason to be jealous, don't you?"  
  
Haruka growled.  
  
"Not when I can't move to take revenge." ***** 2003-08-19, 00:28 skygoddess@gmx.net 


	3. Rapprochement

.a cold can be a really good excuse for staying at home and write.unfortunately, I'm having holiday! However, I finally managed to finish another chapter of this much discussed, bad fanfic ^_- But this chapter is still innocent. it's turned into some kind of comedy. but I'm always turning into comedy somehow.  
  
THX & dedications: my teapot: I'm really becoming a tea addict! Oba-san: At last, I wrote our Setsuna-the-alcoholic-who-seduces-one-man- after-another-story ^_____________^ Hana-chan: Just go away with that Kizuna-manga. I'm already starting to interpret Bon Jovi's Songs in a yaoi way.bwaaaaaah, just imagine, "Wanted dead or alive" for a Kizuna ST piece and "Joey" could make a great yaoi story, too.ok folks, just ignore this.however, I just need to mention your name coz' you're always mad if I don't. Kujira o tasukete! Everyone who still reads this!  
  
Quote of the Chapter: "This is getting ridiculous!"  
  
Warning: This story includes traces of heterosexual action. If you can't deal with this, don't read it ^__________- ***** Disclaimer & Warning: Ew, I'm tired of this. Just leaf back to the first chapter. We all get annoyed by this stuff each time, don't we? *****  
  
The Other Side  
  
*****  
  
Chapter III  
  
***** "I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!"  
  
Haruka sung and hopped through the corridors of the hospital so that the people who passed them by gave Haruka weird and Michiru pityiful looks. They must be thinking they had mixed up the hospital and the madhouse, thought Michiru who tried to stick to Haruka's hand.  
  
But this madness was nothing compared to the madness Michiru had to bear the last three weeks that Haruka had spent at home, curing her injuries from the motobike accident.  
  
After two days, Michiru started to hate her boss for giving her some extra holiday to take care of the blonde. "Baka baka baka", Michiru had thought, now she had had to stand a bored, all-grumbling Haruka for the next weeks.  
  
She was glad when the doctor told Haruka she was allowed to do sports again. To go and train and leave Michiru alone when she wanted to be. Another thing was that she really needed to go to work again, Ayako had tried to replace Michiru and took on her courses but as a matter of fact, Ayako was bad playing the violin. Not just bad, she appeared to be the worst player ever so some pupils called Michiru after the first lesson they had had with Ayako. They told her they'd rather skip the expensive lessons instead of listening to Ayako's trials to play.  
  
"At least, she tried to help me", Michiru sighed as Haruka took three stairs at once. "Completely different from you.", the violinist mumbled. "Nani?" Haruka asked. "I said you didn't do anything to make the whole situation easier the last weeks." "The whole situation? Do you know how bad it was for me, always staying inside, never moving too much with those half-broken ribs. talking about moving, do you know what was the worst?"  
  
Haruka's hand glided from Michiru's hips down to her thighs and winked seductively. Michiru took her hand and kissed it lightly.  
  
"Let's drive home, there you can tell me what it was."  
  
***** At their house, the blonde shoved the key into the lock enthusiastically, opened it, kept it opened for Michiru, kissed her, let her hand slide under her dress- and heared a familiar voice leaving a message to the answering machine: "Hey Haruka, um Haruka-san, I heard you regained your healthiness hence I thought it would be a great idea to invite you to the party I'm giving this evening at my house." Trying to ignore it, Haruka undid the strips of cloth that held together her lover's light blue chiffon dress. Michiru looked at her and grinned.  
  
"Won't you answer the phone?" "I don't care about any dude's party right now, Michi"; Haruka whispered, but Michiru turned around to pick up the phone.  
  
"Ohayo, Jack!This is Michiru speaking." "Hi, isn't Haruka-san in?!" ".physically.", Michiru, with whose curls Haruka had started to play, sighed. "Nani?" "You were talking about some kind of party.", she tried to evade.  
  
"Oh well, this starts at half past eight this evening at my house. but you'll bring Haruka with you, won't you?" "She's fine and I guess we'll come, but how did you know she was home?" "That's my secret. And by the way, feel free to bring anyone you want to, especially beautiful women like you."  
  
Michiru giggled, not because of Jack's comment but because Haruka nibbled her ear tenderly.  
  
"We'll be there this evening, just the two of us. Where do you live?" "It's in Shinjuku, near the."; he explained to Michiru who was taking a note of the address.  
  
When she put the phone down, her dress finally slid over her shoulders and to the ground. *****  
  
Haruka drove down the splendid avenue at whose end Jack had described them to locate his house.  
  
She found it without any problems but was really shocked about what this guy had called a simple "house". Their house was large, their house was at the beach and had far too much room for the two people living in it, but this wasn't a house at all; it was some kind of palace build in a western way with a big front garden planted with crimson roses all over.  
  
She gulped. Usually, her extravagant sports car gained a lot of attention when she just parked in front of a house. But in in this street already dozens of sports cars were parked.  
  
"I wonder what kind of party this is", Haruka said, suddenly feeling insecure and out of place with her narrow denim jeans and the white shirt with a loose leather necktie.  
  
"I don't think this man is going to give a formal banquet. When he says party, he is talking about a party."  
  
"Look who's talking!"; Haruka teased her lover who was dressed in a black, sleeveless dress that exposed her delicate shoulders. "Don't you like the dress?" "Way too much, koi."  
  
Haruka pulled the ignition key out and they alighted from the car.  
  
"Ruka-chan."; Michiru said before she put her index finger at the doorbell. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Would you please try not to freak out this time?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Michiru smiled. Haruka and Jack had so much in common but were too blind to see it. And she didn't want to make them see at all.  
  
"Just don't freak out and try to beat him up when he is flirting. You're no better."  
  
Haruka sighed. "I'll try to." ***** Some seconds after Michiru had rung the golden doorbell, a familiar person, and I mean much more familiar person to Haruka and Michiru than Jack opened the door. Their eyes widened as the dark-haired woman sloppily put back some wild strands of hair and pulled her black jeans miniskirt down to where it was supposed to be.  
  
"Setsuna?!"; both exclaimed in wonder. "Please come in, I was just having."  
  
Haruka shook her head as if this would change anything. ". some sexual intercourse with THAT bastard?"  
  
They entered the entrance-area, Haruka looking for "that bastard".  
  
"How come you got to know him, too?"; Michiru threw in to avoid any discussion between her lover and her best friend.  
  
"That's just because of Ayako. He called her this morning and invited her to bring some friends." "That's like her.I hope he at least kept his fingers off her?" "Ayako is busy with the party, I guess. He also invited."  
  
Haruka still couldn't believe this man was interfering her whole circle of friends and clung closer to Michiru as Setsuna lead them towards the hall the party was going on.  
  
"At least, you don't have to worry about being underdressed."; Michiru teased her;"better worry about being undressed in here."  
  
The blonde pulled a face that changed into a puzzled expression when she perceived the Inner Senshi, Usagi and Mamoru at the buffet.  
  
"Michi, this is a VERY bad nightmare, isn't it?" "I'm afraid it's not."  
  
Michiru was slightly amused at her partner's annoyance though she had expected some new people to talk to instead those girls she had known for years.  
  
Before they were able to notice it, Usagi stuck to them. "Michiru-san, you're looking great, as always. " "You're also looking pretty, Usagi-chan."; Haruka began to flirt.  
  
Michiru looked at her with her "Stop-or-I'll-kill-you"-glance and Haruka turned from Usagi to catch sight of Ayako's shoulder length hair. She was talking to Makoto who already seemed a littly tipsy, according to her reddish cheeks who contrasted the light turquoise colour of Ayako's hair.  
  
TURQUOISE? Haruka slowly looked back to the back of Ayako's head. She knew Ayako was some kind of a freak and loved to dye her hair- but this was over the top of everything!  
  
"Michi, just look over there!"; she whispered, then screamed: "Kurohara Ayako-kun! What is going on here?"  
  
Ayako drew back from Makoto and approached the couple. She wore some tight jeans and a white top with a dark blue tie which conjured up the impression she was doing some extremely bad Haruka-Michiru- Cosplay to Haruka. Nevertheless, she was still pretty in her own, girlish way.  
  
The blonde was still fascinated how such a beautiful woman could be such a freak.  
  
"Hey, I already thought you wouldn't come at all."; she greeted them. "Somehow I believe that would really have been the better choice.";Haruka muttered. "What did you do with your hair, Aya-chan?!"; Michiru said in a dangerously sounding voice. "I dyed it, don't you think it suits me?" "It's MY colour, Ayako!"  
  
"Did you ever hear Haruka complaining because she's got the same hair colour as Minako?"; Ayako tried to defend herself. "Hey, don't dare comparing me to Minako! My hair is a sandy blond, not that stupid. ew, Minako colour!"; Haruka tried to take the two women apart. "Ok, let's stop fighting about this, Michi."; Ayako accepted. "IT'S "MICHIRU"!"; Haruka yelled. "Kaiou Michiru-sama, very own property of Tenou Haruka-dono, would you please accept my peace proposal?"; Ayako bowed firmly, grinning at the blonde. "Accepted. But by the way, where is Jack? We didn't see him at all."; Michiru objected. "I don't know, Setsuna told me he was busy when I arrived here ."  
  
"I bet he was busy."; Haruka said. "So you didn't invite the others to come with you?"; Michiru questioned. "I only invited Setsuna, the Inners came with Makoto." "MAKOTO?"; both Haruka and Michiru asked. "She is."  
  
Ayako couldn't finish her sentence because the owner of the house entered the hall and they heard Makoto who was now also standing beside them saying: "This is my ex-boyfriend!"  
  
"You're meaning Jack reminds you of your ex-boyfriend?"; Michiru corrected her. "Nope, he actually IS my ex-boyfriend!"  
  
Haruka suddenly felt herself faint a little and looked over to Michiru. Her lover was just as pale as she herself.  
  
"And I had just started thinking he wasn't Casanova's heir." ***** Jack drew towards Michiru and took her hand to kiss it for welcoming, but Haruka took his hand and squeezed it roughly , prepared to protect her girlfriend with her life from any heterosexual action.  
  
But instead of squeezing back, Jack liftet the blonde's hand and kissed it just as he had initially planned to kiss Michiru's.  
  
The latter couldn't hold back a giggle at Haruka's stunned expression. Haruka already planned to smash Jack into pieces for that action but when she lifted her hand, he stopped her with his hand.  
  
"I'm glad to see the two of you here." "We're also glad."; Michiru said, hoping to neutralize the situation this way. "I'm afraid Haruka-san isn't. Did I do anything wrong?"; he asked. "How dare you kissing my."; Haruka started but was interrupted by Jack: "I'm sorry, I didn't want to offend you. I just wanted to show you I like you."  
  
He walked off to the other women with a dissapointed expression on his face.  
  
"What the heck was THIS?"; Haruka exclaimed. "I guess he really likes you, Ruka."; Michiru sniggered. "That's no reason for kissing my hand!" "It is." "But it's no reasing for trying to kiss your hand."  
  
Before their discussion could become any more senseless, Setsuna gave both of them a glass of some sweet red cocktail.  
  
"Lessssstrydohavsomefunn."; she slurred. "How much of this did you drink within the last minutes, Setsuna?!"; Michiru asked anxiously. "Maybe ten or twelve or any higher number I can't count up to any more."  
  
"Then let's go for a small walk outside. Are you coming with us?"; Haruka offered, already having taken Setsuna's hand. "I think I'll talk to Ayako for a while, you'll be able to look after her yourself, won't you?"  
  
***** Haruka found out that not only the house was immensely huge, it also had a big garden that could almost be described as a park.  
  
"Haruka. I'm feeling dizzy."; Setsuna whispered. "That's the effect of too much alcohol, you know."  
  
They sat down on a bench and Setsuna leant against the blonde.  
  
"Why did you do this?" "Nani?" "Drink so much. Get drunk." "I just wanted to forget about that bastard."  
  
"That bastard?"  
  
"Jack. You called him like this before."  
  
Haruka raised an eyebrow. "So he did you harm?" "I was just. you know, I thought this was a little flirtation. but he tried to."  
  
"That damn bastard, I knew it right from the beginning."  
  
"Naw, it was my fault, listen, Haruka, he just misunderstood. once I told him he was going too far, he kept his fingers off me."  
  
"Really?" "Really. Nevertheless, I was shocked. I just stayed because of you."  
  
Haruka sighed and embraced her friend tightly. She knew how hard it was for the others to find a man from whom they didn't have to conceal their past as Sailor Senshi. The dark-haired woman sobbed faintly.  
  
"Hey, stop crying, do you want to ruin your make-up and become my shirt transparent?"; Haruka tried to cheer her friend up. Setsuna looked up and kissed the blonde's cheek. Haruka flushed. Setsuna usually wasn't this emotional.  
  
"Don't be crossed, but I think I'll better go home now."  
  
"But you can't drive. You're still drunk."  
  
"I'll call a taxi. Please, I need to be alone. Tell Michiru good-bye from me, okay?"  
  
With this, Setsuna rose and walked off the garden through a wide white gate.  
  
"Hey, romantic situation, huh? You're so jealous but sit here around with another woman while your girlfriend is drunk and furiously stripping inside!" "Nani?"  
  
"JOKE. NOT SERIOUSLY, TO AVOID ANY MISUNDERSTANDING."  
  
Jack stood in front of her and talked to her as if she was two years old. He wore a black jeans and shirt whose upper three buttons were unbuttoned and gave a slight view at his muscular chest.  
  
"How long did you observe us?"; Haruka asked coldly. He sat down beside her.  
  
"Long enough to find out you're not half as cool as you pretend to be. So I'm a bastard. you know you're free to leave this place."  
  
"Why don't you just leave me in peace?"  
  
"Why don't you just leave?" "Why should I?"  
  
"Why should you stay?" "Why did you invite me, then?" "Why."  
  
"This is getting ridiculous, isn't it?"  
  
The both looked at each other and burst out in laughter.  
  
"I'm behaving really childish, I'm sorry."; Haruka apologized. "Forgiven and forgotten." "Almost. What was that thing with Setsuna about?" "I just."; he mumbled; ".this was a terrible misunderstanding, I'm not like that,but you think I'm a really tough player, don't you?"  
  
"What else should I think?"  
  
"I only play if my counterpart agrees. And stop attacking me all the time, I'll never ever touch your Michiru."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"I'll promise." ***** Two o'clock in the morning.  
  
"Haruka?"; a familiar voice called her.  
  
"I guess there's someone who misses you."; Jack said as Haruka passed him the basketball.  
  
"What are you doing here? It's freezingly cold out here and everyone has been looking for you for hours. And you're playing basketball!"  
  
Haruka grinned guiltily. "We somehow.got to talk and then decided to move a little to keep ourselves warm. Jack's a really good player, I mean, in the sportive meaning."  
  
"And Haruka's a a great player in both meanings, even for a woman."  
  
The blonde bruised his ribs comradely. "Then you're a bad player for a man."  
  
Michiru scratched her head in wonder. Hadn't the two of them been arch- enemies only some hours ago?  
  
"Did I drink that much I'm hallucinating?"  
  
"You're not. By the way, why didn't anyone look for us outside?"; Jack asked. "Um. let's say they are too drunk to think this far."  
  
"Kami-sama! My lovely house."; he worried. "You'll better go and throw them out. Those folks can be a real pain."; Haruka suggested. "And we'll better go home now."; Michiru proposed. "Then I'll call you within the next days, Haruka."  
  
Jack gave her his hand and this time, innocently shook it.  
  
Michiru stuck to Haruka and as they started walking towards the street, she realized she was slightly swaying.  
  
"And how did you find us in your condition?"  
  
Haruka opened her the car's door and started the engine.  
  
"I wasn't looking for you. I was just feeling sick." *****  
  
2003-10-30, 00:26 skygoddess@gmx.net  
  
Japanese Word Explanation For René: Yaoi= homosexual interaction between two men in anime/manga Kujira o tasukete= Save the whales (most important mission of mankind after saving the seals ^_-)  
  
Nani= What? Koi= kind of a pet name, literally "love", or short form of "koibito"= beloved person . written with a different kanji, but it still reminds my of this Japanese fish. would also fit Michiru, the senshi of the sea, quite well. Kami-sama: God (or unfortunately deceased Malice Mizer- member *sniff*) 


	4. Friendship

_Yeah I know I haven't been writing for ages and by now I really mean for ages, but it was that I had a BAD writer's block for the whole last year because of a lot of reasons, an identity crisis you might call it. Anyway, I hope it's finally over and I've got a lot of spare time left for writing now._

_  
Still, the chapter hasn't become that long because I decided to put the next scene (a place Haruka likes, mark that Betty ;-) to the next chapter._

_**THX & Dedications to: **_

- Phil: for finding the title song of the story No I won't tell the readers yet!

-Valli: as always, you say it best when you say nothing at all!

-TK: for a lot of fast food keeping creativity alive .

-Oba-san, Saki: I told you, it's a curse. The curse of the best male friend, that

could be an subtitle for this ficcie… Never hug a boy or he'll fall for you --

- all my male friends: I'm sorry guys, Jack turns out to become a weird mixture of all of you, except the two quieter ones and yes you exactly know who I mean by that -

**Disclaimer & Warning:**

Ew, I'm tired of this. Just leaf back to the first chapter. We all get annoyed by this stuff again and again, don't we?

The Other Side Chapter IV- Friendship 

Ten past eight.

Haruka sat on the couch and was fidgeting around with her jacket's buttons, looked at her watch, ran her hand through her hair, looked at the watch again and sighed- if she only had insisted to drive on her own, she wouldn't sit around like this.

Jack had promised to pick her up at eight o'clock because Michiru was at Ayako's and she had decided to spend the evening with him in some pub or disco or maybe both.

Quarter past eight. Haruka picked up the phone and dialed Jack's number.

"Moshi moshi?"; a sleepy voice answered.

"Hey, this is Haruka, what are you thinking to leave me sitting here and waiting for you?"  
"Haruka-san? Oh well, I somehow forgot…"

"YOU FORGOT? What were you doing all day?"

"I'm sorry…I wasn't asleep or whatever you're thinking."  
"Fuckin' some of my friends or what?"

Haruka still believed he was playing around with everyone, including her.

"I didn't… I was just… thinking…"

"You should've thought about picking me up!"

"I'm there in ten minutes."  
"Thanks a lot, but I'll drive myself."

"Haruka, please…don't always think I'm planning to let you down…"

"But you..."

"I won't do it again."

Before Haruka could say anything, he had hung up the phone.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.

The blonde opened and let Jack in.

"Didn't you want to go out this evening?"; she asked in wonder when he sat down on the couch.

"I don't feel like that right now. If you want me to leave, I'll…"

Haruka sighed.  
"Was that the reason for you were late?"

"Yes. I didn't want to pull you down…"

"You could simply have called and told me."

She looked at him who was having dark shadows below his eyes and became curious, then anxious: "What's the matter with you?"

But instead of answering her question, he stood up and smacked her forehead.

"I said I didn't want to pull you down dear, so let's go!"

"Since when have we been that close, Sir?"; Haruka asked in artificial seriousness.

"All right… Japanese… no dear, but I hope just "Haruka" doesn't hurt your dignity?"

"If that's your only problem, it's okay – iku ga!"

"Iku!"

When Jack grabbed her arm, she considered pulling it away for a moment, but then hooked onto his arm.

After all that happened at the party the week ago and this evening, Haruka had decided it would only be fair to give him a chance.

At the same time, at Ayako's house…

"… and she really wants to meet with him? What is so special about this guy?"

That was what Michiru had kept asking herself for the last days, as well.

Haruka had never ever shown any interest in men; not even to the extent of a friendship.

So why was she suddenly dating someone who had almost killed her on the track?

But, she tried not to blush, dating wasn't the right word, as Ayako said, she just wanted to meet him.

"The only thing that's sure is that I'm not supposed to be jealous", Michiru smiled.

"Well, are you?", asked Ayako in her typically frank way.

The violinist shook her head.

"It's just strange somehow…"

When they had entered the bar, Haruka had already felt a strong desire to get out as soon as possible because of some guys peering at her.

Though she could easily pass as a man among women, her feminine features were more striking in direct comparison with men.

Still, she didn't really feel at ease.

But drinking was not the way out since they had come with her car after all.

"And since when have you been into racing?"

Jack was sitting in front of her and tried everything not to stop their conversation; after half an hour, it had become unnerving to Haruka, but still she answered his questions patiently.

"Since junior high."

"Wow! But you weren't allowed to drive in the streets then, were you?"

Haruka sighed. Motorcycles sure were a great topic, but somehow too little to talk about nothing else all night.

Just when she decided not to listen anymore, she felt the grip of a hand on her right shoulder.

As she turned around, she saw a man about forty who grinned at her.

"Hi, me and my friends were just wondering whether you are with this guy…"

The blonde cocked an eyebrow.

"Didn't you see we entered together?"

"Yes we did. I meant, are you WITH him?"

Was the guy trying to flirt with her? Haruka smiled into herself and grinned at Jack who looked at her in amazement.

"No I'm not."

The man behind her grew more and more self-confident.

"Then I may say that you're a really beautiful one. Wanna come over to our table for a drink? I mean you can bring your friend …"

Should she bang her head against the table? Laugh at him? Run away?

Before she was able to respond, Jack had stood up.

"That she isn't with me doesn't mean she is single, don't you get that?"

"Oh well don't you think the lady can answer herself?"

Haruka got hold of Jack's arm.

"Just ignore him."

The least thing she wanted to do was having a fight because of nothing at all- nothing but a little too much alcohol, at the most.

"But…"

But the blonde had already dragged him halfway out of the bar.

"What was that about?", she asked Jack when they were back in the car.

"I just wanted to… protect you."

She let out a sigh.

"And you don't think I can protect myself?"

He frowned, then put a hand on her arm.

"But you're a woman and you know, guys like that can become really dangerous… I didn't want to insult you or anything like that. Believe me."

He looked as if her last question had knocked him completely down.

Kami-sama, Haruka thought, how old was this guy?

Trying to be some Don Juan, he wasn't more than a little boy.  
Why be mad at him?

Haruka couldn't tell why, but she just had to hug him.

"Still feel like going out?"

Jack nodded silently.

"Then we're going to a place I like now."

2004/11/25, 2:42


End file.
